Error writing FITS header

[Purgitoria]

So I have been trying to calibrate some files in PI but every time I try I get an error due to one of the items in a FITS header due to the software owners name in the header.

*** PCL Exception: PCL FITS Format Support: Error writing FITS header keyword:
F:/Astro/LB_M33/Lum/RAW-M33_32449_Luminance_1x1_20140902_002355_c_1.fit
CFITSIO error message stack:
01 : Character 20 in this keyword is illegal. Hex Value = FFFFFFE4
02 : SWOWNER = 'Knut Schäffner'     / Licensed owner of software   

The information in this secton of the header however is not editable. Is there a workaround for this or do i need to wait until a new release where this font is supported?                 

[Juan Conejero]

To fix these issues:

- Open the Format Explorer window

- Double click the FITS item on the left panel

- On the FITS Format Preferences dialog, check the Cleanup header keywords option (Miscellaneous Options section). Please read the tooltip information given by this check box. Click the OK button.

I suggest you contact the developers of the application that created these FITS files and ask them not to include illegal characters in FITS headers.

[Purgitoria]

Thanks Juan that worked great. The files were actually created in Maxim DL so i am not sure why there are any illegal charecters annd they do not show up in the FITS header when i view them in Maxim, only in PI.

[pfile]

the umlaut-a is illegal i think. FITS probably does not officially support unicode?

rob

[Juan Conejero]

FITS probably does not officially support unicode?

No it doesn't. Only a subset of 7-bit ASCII is allowed. From the current FITS Standard version 3.0 (November 2010 revision), Section 3.2:

The primary HDU and every extension HDU shall consist of one or more 2880-byte header blocks immediately followed by an optional sequence of associated 2880-byte data blocks. The header blocks shall contain only the restricted set of ASCII text characters, decimal 32 through 126 (hexadecimal 20 through 7E). The ASCII control characters with decimal values less than 32 (including the null, tab, carriage return, and line feed characters), and the delete character (decimal 127 or hexadecimal 7F) must not appear anywhere within a header block.

[pfile]

i feel like coding some FORTRAN 77 or COBOL now